


What the Forest Gave Us

by hybridempress



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elves, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Magic, Monsters, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-13 15:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4527951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hybridempress/pseuds/hybridempress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alfred and Arthur are mortal enemies; the Kings of Human and Elf kingdoms that have been warring against each other for just over a decade. When Arthur mucks up a spell and accidentally transports himself and Alfred to an enormous forest outside both of their kingdoms, the two of them must put aside their differences in order to get back home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Surrender

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theladyoflemons](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=theladyoflemons), [MageArc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageArc/gifts).
  * Inspired by [this fantasy au](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/135312) by theladyoflemons. 



    "I don't think you understand the position you are in,  _Your Highness._  It certainly isn't one for you to try  _bargaining_  for the terms of your surrender. I've got ten thousand men ready to kick your sorry ass at any moment. You're lucky if we even let you surrender in the first place. You're lucky to be getting out of this alive," Alfred hissed, staring across the room at the Elf King who was sitting at the table on the opposite side of him.   
  
    "You act as if we have no way to defend ourselves against you. My men are a lot swifter than yours. Yours are brutal and irrational, always diving headfirst into everything. My men are cunning and clever. My men actually have strategy. If you attack us again, I can guarantee you'll lose more men than we will," the Elf King, Arthur, spat in return.   
  
    "Are you really willing to take that chance, Arthur? My Kingdom hasn't lost a battle against you since the year began. What makes you think that's going to change now, especially when your army is so weak?" Alfred asked, a faint smirk crawling onto his face.   
  
    "You wouldn't know anything about us, Alfred. You're too busy buffing up your own men to worry about mine. You've no idea of what we have planned for you," Arthur threatened, though Alfred was confident that his adversary was bluffing.   
  
    "Look, Arthur. You came here to discuss surrender. I'm happy to accept that surrender. This war can finally be over if you wish it. But my people are under no obligation to offer you  _anything_  in return. If you're smart, you'll just give up now. Otherwise, there's going to be a lot more bloodshed for the both of us. I have men to spare. You don't," Alfred said, his expression looking confident, but somewhat nonchalant.   
  
    Arthur was absolutely disgusted. He couldn't believe that Alfred was being so selfish. He should have expected this. Alfred was a Human, after all, and as long as he'd known Humans, they'd wanted nothing but bloodshed. Of course he treated his men like machines; like they were unimportant and replaceable. Of course he wouldn't give Arthur's people anything in exchange for their surrender. That was absurd. Alfred  _wanted_  this war to continue. He  _enjoyed_  it.  
  
    "You're a sick bastard, Jones. You know that, right?" Arthur growled.   
  
    Alfred propped an elbow up on the table and held his chin in the palm of his hand. "Enlighten me,  _Your Majesty,_ " he purred, offering a soft smile to the Elf King.  
  
    "You're putting the lives of thousands of Elves and Men alike on the line! You're throwing your soldiers away as if they mean nothing to you! I've asked for very little in return for the surrender of my people, yet you refuse to give to us what we deserve! You'd be willing to let this war continue, to keep fighting this pointless battle, just because you're too selfish to let go of anything you have! How can your people stand you!? How can you live with yourself!?" Arthur demanded.  
  
    "Oh, it's pretty easy, Arthur. Y'see, my people don't see me in the same light that yours do. I'm a  _hero_  to my people. They look up to me. They agree with me. They think this war is worth fighting. And they don't think that you or your kingdom of pansies deserve any of what you've tried to 'bargain' for. So if you aren't really going to surrender, then we have nothing left to say to each other. I'd suggest you leave my sight at once before I have you imprisoned on the spot," Alfred said, the triumphant smile on his face growing ever more present.  
  
    "Bastard," Arthur snarled under his breath. "Fine, then we will be on our way now. I hope you're happy with your decision today, Alfred. This war is about to get bloodier than it has been in five years."  
  
    He pushed his chair away from the table and stood up from it. He didn't bother pushing the chair back to the table after walking away from it and standing in between the four guards that he had brought with him to the meeting that day. Alfred watched him with the same smug smile that he had been wearing for the entire meeting. The sight of the Human King's face was starting to make Arthur sick.   
  
    Arthur glared at Alfred one last time before closing his eyes and beginning to recite an incantation in his native Elvish language. Alfred couldn't understand a word of it, but he had heard the spell pass from Arthur's lips enough times before to know that it was a transportation spell. It was how Arthur got to and from everywhere.  
  
    It was a normal part of their meetings, and Alfred thought nothing of it. However, when the final words in the incantation had escaped Arthur's mouth, the world around Alfred suddenly began to change. His vision started to go blurry, as did his hearing. There was a loud ringing in his ears that had started to make his head hurt. He gasped from the sudden pain and tried to clutch his head in his hands, but he couldn't seem to move his arms, or any part of his body, for that matter. His entire body felt heavy and he felt as if his insides were being crushed. He was suffocating.   
  
    This strange and excruciating feeling only lasted a few seconds, but to Alfred, it had felt like hours. After his vision and hearing came back to him, the pain in the rest of his body seemed to die away instantly, and he was left with just a tingling sensation running through his entire body. He could barely remember what the pain he had been experiencing just moments ago had felt like.  
  
    His ears could hear the sounds of a forest; birds chirping and leaves rustling and other little animal sounds here and there. His eyes picked up the sight of trees so tall they looked like they reached the sky. Green grass covered by fallen leaves of all sorts of different colors. Colorful birds sitting in the tree branches... And Arthur, standing right in front of him.   
  
    Alfred was confused, to say the least, but he never considered even for a moment that Arthur was just as confused as he was, though it was evident on the Elf King's face. Feeling terrified, distraught, confused, and angry all at once, the first thought that came to Alfred's mind was that Arthur had planned for this to happen from the very beginning.  
  
    It made sense, didn't it? Arthur was angry with Alfred. Alfred hadn't accepted the "terms" of the Elf Kingdom's surrender, and now Arthur was planning to get back at him. Arthur had recited an incantation that would take Alfred with him to- To wherever the hell they were right now, and then, Arthur would murder him. Arthur was planning to assassinate Alfred far away from either of their kingdoms so that Alfred could never have been saved, and no one would ever find his body. And Arthur would have won the war.  
  
    "You son of a bitch!" Alfred shouted.  
  
    This startled Arthur out of his own daze. He, in fact, had absolutely no idea what was going on. He had no idea where the two of them were, or why Alfred was even with him in the first place. He was panicking inside, and that panic was clearly shown in his eyes and on his face, but of course, Alfred was far too ignorant and furious to see that.   
  
    "I-I beg your pardon?" Arthur asked, staring at the Human King straight in the eyes, a slightly offended look on his own face.   
  
    "Where the fuck did you take us to, you bastard!? Did you fucking think I wouldn't know what you're planning!? Tough shit, because your little 'trap' isn't gonna work on me, got it!? My men are probably already starting a search for me! They'll find me and we're gonna have you killed when they do! There's no way you're getting away with this!" Alfred roared.  
  
    "Shut the fuck up, okay!? I have about as good of an idea as to where we are as you do! I didn't mean to do this! I'm not trying to fucking kidnap you!" Arthur shouted back, his breaths starting to become shallower as his internal panic made its way to his exterior.   
  
    "Oh, like I'm gonna believe a word that the fucking Elf King tells me! We've been at war for a decade and you expect me to believe  _anything_ that comes out of that filthy mouth of yours? Well, guess what! I'm a lot smarter than you seem to think I am, asshole!" Alfred yelled.  
  
    "Oh my  _gods,_  Alfred, you are literally so fucking stupid..." Arthur muttered, smiling in his frustration and running a hand through his hair anxiously. He really couldn't be dealing with Alfred's ignorance right now.   
  
    "How the fuck am  _I_ the stupid one!? You're the one who thought your pathetic little plan was actually going to work!" Alfred spat.   
  
    "I already told you, I don't have any fucking 'plan' Alfred! I literally have no  _idea_ where we are!" Arthur exclaimed.  
  
    Alfred rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Well, I'm not just gonna let you hold me here! I'm getting back to my castle and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" he snarled.  
  
    "How are you going to get back to your castle when neither of us know where the fuck we are!?" Arthur asked.  
  
    "Oh, just drop the act already, asswipe. Just go back to your own castle before I decide to cut you down here and now," Alfred hissed.   
  
    Knowing that Alfred's threat was serious, and that Humans were prone to making rash decisions when they were frightened, Arthur used his magic to put up an invisible shield between himself and Alfred. The way that Arthur had placed his hands in the air made it look to Alfred as if the Elf King had made a gesture of surrender. Alfred reached for his sword, grabbing onto the hilt of it, but not pulling it out of its sheath just yet. Arthur's eyes widened and he took a step back from the Human King.  
  
    "A-Alfred, please. I honestly have no idea where we are. Don't do anything too rash or you'll regret it," he said, trying to steady his voice again. He sighed softly. "This is exactly why we're at war. Humans are too impudent and too impulsive," he muttered.  
  
    "At least humans have feelings, unlike you heartless shitbags," Alfred growled.   
  
    Arthur dropped his hands, letting the shield he had put up come down. Much to Alfred's surprise, Arthur actually looked visibly hurt by the comment. His annoyed and anxious visage had turned into one of guilt and anger at the same time. He stared at Alfred with slightly widened eyes for a moment before hissing "Fuck off," and beginning to walk away in the direction opposite of where Alfred was standing.  
  
    Alfred wasn't sure how to react. He hadn't expected that one comment to make Arthur back down like that. He was sure that he should have felt triumphant about it, but he had never seen that kind of emotion in Arthur's face before. All he had ever seen before was pride, annoyance, and fury. Alfred certainly didn't feel bad about making the comment, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to feel prideful about it, either.   
  
    Alfred quickly shook off Arthur's reaction and glared in the direction that the Elf King had wandered off in before turning on his heels and beginning to walk in the opposite direction. He had no idea where he was going, but at least he was getting as far away from Arthur as possible. Surely, if he kept walking in one direction, just going straight ahead, he'd get out of the forest before long. There had to be a town outside of the forest. He could ask for directions on how to get back to his castle from there.  
  
    ...Unless he ended up inside of an Elf village. Or a village that belonged to some other group of non-human creatures. Then, he'd most likely be screwed. But he wasn't going to think about that now. All he was going to focus on for the time being was getting out of this God-forsaken place that Arthur had trapped him in.   
  
    Unfortunately, his whole plan of "walking straight ahead and getting out of the forest in no time" was easier thought than done. Alfred had been walking for what seemed like hours before ending up in a place that seemed very familiar to him. It didn't take long for him to realize that he'd walked in a circle, and that he had ended up right back where he had started.   
  
    "Great. Wonderful. Fan-fucking-tastic." Alfred continued to mutter to himself until he heard leaves rustling and crunching in front of him. His head snapped up and he grabbed the hilt of his sword once again, ready to attack whatever was about to emerge from the trees.   
  
    A few seconds later, a familiar, tall figure stepped into Alfred's view. Shaggy blond hair. Deep green eyes whose color could have made the leaves of the forest jealous. Eyebrows that took up half of his goddamn face. Of course it was Arthur.   
  
    Alfred groaned loudly in complete and utter annoyance when he recognized Arthur, which caused the Elf King to glare at him. "What the fuck are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back to your hole in the ground by now?" Alfred grumbled.   
  
    "I already told you, Alfred, I don't know where the hell we are! How the hell could I have gotten back home if I don't know how the hell to get there!?" Arthur demanded.   
  
    "Oh my  _God,_  I can't _believe_ you're still trying to keep up this shit.  _I'm not gonna fall for it, Arthur!_  Just cut the crap and get out of here already!" Alfred shouted.  
  
    Arthur just had to let out a gasp of utter frustration as he began to pull on the ends of his hair. He was absolutely bristling with anger. He literally could not believe how stupid Alfred was, and furthermore, how stubborn and accusatory the Human King was being.   
  
    "Why on earth do you hate me and my people so much!? To the point where you can't even believe us when we are being so blatantly truthful!? How ignorant can you be!?" he asked.  
  
    "You think you're so goddamn superior to us, and you can't stand the fact that our population is growing while yours is dying out! You guys are the ones who started this war! We had to fight back!" Alfred snarled.   
  
    "We've been fighting this war for a  _decade,_  Alfred! Ten years! That's a bit long for a war, don't you think!? My people are already dying out! Your people are going to overpower us no matter what we do! Why can't you just let us end this war? Your goddamn pride is what's keeping us from making any progress! Every time we try to surrender, you kill us!" Arthur shouted.   
  
    Alfred clenched his fists tightly, digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands. It couldn't be helped; conversations like these always brought back bad memories for him. Terrible, horrible, excruciatingly painful memories. Memories that he would have suppressed to the deepest, darkest corners of his mind if they hadn't been the very reason he was still fighting this goddamn war in the first place. He could never forget them, and they were coming onto him now more strongly than they had in a long while.   
  
    "I have my reasons. If you knew  _anything_  about me, you'd know why I can't stop," he hissed through gritted teeth.  
  
    "I don't care about your reasons! My people are dying, and you cant find it in your heart to let the remaining percentage of my people survive! It's downright barbaric, that's what it is. And you wonder why we don't like you Humans. You don't know when to stop. You're so fucking selfish," Arthur hissed back.   
  
    Alfred couldn't take this anymore. That last comment had been the straw to break the camel's back. The floodgates of his mind had opened and the memories he had been trying to hold back shoved themselves into the front of his mind. He watched them behind his eyes as if he were living through them for the first time.  
  
    He remembered being a child; stolen away in the middle of the night by strange, tall men, with the power to take Alfred's voice away by simply waving their hands in front of his mouth. They had his mother, too. The two of them were struggling fiercely against their assailants, but it was no use. They were far too strong for the frailty of the Prince's and Queen's own bones.   
  
    They were taken far away from their home, the castle in the city of Doncaster; capital of the Human Kingdom. They were taken underground, to a facility where Alfred was forced to watch as his mother was tortured in some of the most brutal ways anyone could imagine. She was put through the worst pains imaginable for  _days_  before they finally decided to put her out of her misery, killing her by shooting an arrow through her heart.  
  
    Alfred would have been next, if the camp they had been brought to hadn't been raided by his father's men. He was rescued, and the Elves who had kidnapped him and his mother had been killed on sight. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. The Queen was dead, and Alfred had been traumatized by what he had been forced to witness. The images would forever be imprinted in his brain, leaving scars worse than anything else ever could have. He would never forget that night, and he would never forgive the Elves for what they had done.   
  
    Alfred burst into tears on the spot, causing Arthur to jump back a little, his eyes widening in confusion as well as fear. He'd never seen Alfred cry before. He'd also never seen someone look so utterly broken. Alfred had gone from arrogant and furious to vulnerable and emotionally wrecked in a matter of seconds.   
  
    "Maybe I'm selfish to keep fighting, Arthur, but at least my people didn't kidnap you and your mother and force you to watch as they tortured and killed her slowly! As they put her through unbearable pain while you listened to her scream and cry for help, knowing there wasn't a damn thing you could do about it! How's that for barbaric!? How's that for a reason to never stop fighting against you sick, emotionless bastards!?" Alfred screamed. His voice ran hoarse near the end as he began to choke on his own tears.   
  
    Arthur was understandably taken aback by Alfred's sudden revelation to him. He didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. A thousand thoughts were swimming through his head all at once, creating a sort of hurricane within his mind.   
  
    His people had really done something so horrible...? Something so barbaric and dishonorable? Something so sickeningly gruesome? Arthur didn't want to believe it. In fact, he would have been determined not to believe it if Alfred's reaction hadn't been so strong. There was no way he could be lying about this, when he was standing there, crying his heart out and leaving himself completely vulnerable in front of Arthur. That was something that Alfred would  _never_  do, which had to mean that everything he had just said was real.   
  
    "I'm so... I-I'm so sorry..." Arthur finally managed to choke out, his voice cracking. "U-under no circumstances were they supposed to have done that...- Th-that was during my father's reign, most likely, I-I had... N-no idea..."  
  
    Alfred glared daggers at Arthur. Arthur had never been given such an icy stare in his life. It sent shivers down his spine, making him extremely uneasy. Alfred's visage made him look as if he were on the brink of insanity, and Arthur was frightened by it.   
  
    "I was ten years old, Arthur!  _Ten. Fucking. Years. Old!_ " Alfred shouted.   
  
    "I-I'm sorry, Alfred," Arthur said again, still lacking the words to handle this situation any other way. But really, what else could he have said? There was nothing that he could say or do to make up for what had happened to Alfred's mother, and there never would be.   
  
    Alfred's sobbing seemed to have stopped almost instantly. He was still crying, but he was quiet. His expression was no longer furious and anguished. It was unreadable. His aura became cold, almost sinister. "'Sorry' doesn't change the fact that my mother is dead because of you  _freaks,_ " he hissed.   
  
    The word made Arthur visibly flinch. Just as suddenly as Alfred had stopped sobbing, Arthur's guilt seemed to have disappeared. That word was something that almost never fell off of an Elvish tongue, because it was a word that had been used to oppress their people for far too long. A word that could be heard being muttered by a man when an Elf walked by him. A word that was shouted at an Elf when he did something that displeased his Human "superiors". It was a word that Arthur would not tolerate, from Alfred or anyone else.   
  
    "You act like you have it so hard, but you don't even know what it's like to be oppressed; what it's like to be spat on and told you're disgusting and a freak of nature. You have  _no clue_  what that feels like. Why do you think we started this war in the first place!? It was so we wouldn't have to be forced to live in poverty and treated as lesser-thans anymore, because we had been for a century!" Arthur spat.   
  
    "Shut the fuck up, okay!? I don't want to hear your goddamn excuses! If you didn't like being around Humans then you should have just fucking gone back to where you came from instead of trying to live with us and take over our land!" Alfred snarled.   
  
    "Maybe if you hadn't forced us to assimilate into your culture, we wouldn't be here! You needed the services we provided! You forced us here! You don't have a right to tell us to go back to where we came from when it's your fucking fault we're here!" Arthur shouted.   
  
    Alfred couldn't do this anymore. He grabbed the ends of his hair and started tugging on them, letting out a shrill cry of frustration. He was starting to cry harder again.  
  
    "Fine! Then you win! You fucking win, Arthur! It's over! I'm never getting back home, and even if I did, we'd be right back where we started! Neither of us can win!" he yelled.  
  
    He was shaking so much that he couldn't stand anymore. He sunk to his knees in front of his adversary and buried his face in his hands. To him, it seemed as if his life were over. He'd just completely obliterated his pride and handed the shattered pieces to his worst enemy on a silver platter. He was so depressed and furious that he couldn't think straight. At the moment, he felt like he never wanted to be able to think again.   
  
    "I give up..." he whispered.   
  
    All was silent for a while. Arthur was once again taken aback by this sudden turn of events. He had never expected Alfred to surrender to him, and certainly not in this way. Something about it didn't feel right to him. It didn't feel like a triumph at all. Somehow, Arthur felt guilty about it.  
  
    Slowly, the Elf King approached the man kneeling beneath him, and sat down next to him. "I know that you hate me, Alfred, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to help you. I'll find a way to get you home. I promise," he said softly.  
  
    Alfred looked up at him and snarled. "I don't want any of your fucking help. Don't touch me unless you mean to kill me," he hissed.   
  
    Arthur sighed softly, becoming a little irritated at how impudent Alfred was still being. He was such a damn drama queen. Still, Arthur felt pity for him, and Arthur really did want to help him.   
  
    Arthur looked to the sky briefly to see that the light blue hue from earlier was fading into a bright orange color. The sun was setting. It would be dark soon. Alfred and Arthur were going to need a place to sleep for the night.   
  
    Slowly, Arthur stood up again, and looked down at Alfred. "Look... It's getting late. I'm going to start making a shelter for us, alright?" he asked.   
  
    When he received no response from Alfred, he sighed again. Obviously, the Human King had no intentions of helping build a shelter for the night, but Arthur wasn't in the mood to care anymore. "Stay here," he commanded, and without another word, he trudged off into the forest to find something suitable to build a shelter with.


	2. Trying to Understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred and Arthur spend their first night in the forest together, and the following morning brings a meaningful talk where Arthur tries to understand why Alfred has given up so easily.

    The sun was setting deeper and deeper into the sky very quickly. Arthur was gone for a long time finding supplies to build a shelter with, but Alfred did nothing to help. He didn't care. He wasn't worried about Arthur or himself now. He was too overcome with anger and grief to care about anything right now.   
  
    He felt empty, really. He was depressed. Angry. Embarrassed. He'd just given up on his one purpose in life, and for what? A heartbreaking story of oppression told to him by the person he had been fighting against ever since he was old enough to wield a sword? The frustration and rage and grief that came with the remembrance of what those bastards had done to him and his mother? The fact that he felt like he had been hanging onto life for just a little too long now?  
  
    It didn't matter the reason. He couldn't take it back now. This was it. The war was over. Arthur had won. Alfred had destroyed his pride and surrendered. He'd given up on his one mission in life. He was unable to avenge his mother. His people would think of him as a coward. They'd all want him dead just as much as he wished that he were dead right now, if not more so. If his world had collapsed on him, what was the point in continuing with life?   
  
    The sky had gone dark by the time Arthur had come back. He was using his magic to carry tons of supplies. Wood, vines, rocks, leaves, anything that he could find. Once he had come back to the clearing where Alfred was still sitting, he began to use his magic to assemble the shelter. He tied wood together with the vines and made a roof out of the leaves. It wasn't long before he had made a pretty decent little hut or tent or whatever with the supplies that he had found.  
  
    Once Arthur had finished building the shelter, he turned around and glanced at Alfred, who had been watching him the whole time. Without a word, Arthur walked over to where Alfred was sitting and sat beside him. There was no longer any light in Alfred's eyes, not even the fierce and confident gleam that Arthur was so used to from him. He looked so utterly broken that Arthur couldn't help but feel bad for him.  
  
    He sighed softly, pulling at the grass around his feet and sprinkling it back onto the ground after he had uprooted it. "Alfred, even if you hate me, it doesn't mean that I hate you, or that I don't want to help you," he said, and it was truthful. Though Arthur was incredibly angry at Alfred and furious with how unreasonable Alfred was being, if Alfred was really willing to let the war end, then Arthur had no reason to hate him any longer. All he wanted now was for both of them to get home safely.  
  
    Alfred didn't look at him. He stared at the ground in front of his feet, just barely making out the motions of Arthur pulling up the grass and sprinkling it around out of the corner of his eye. "Why wouldn't you hate me? You've got every reason to, and none to think that I'm anything but a monster," he mumbled.   
  
    Arthur sighed again. "Listen, Alfred, I'm not going to waste my time hating a population collectively even though you've given me every reason to. The war is over now, or at least it will be when we get back. I want to spend my time now being happy, not hateful," he said.  
  
    Knowing that nothing productive was going to come out of this conversation with how stubborn Alfred was still being, Arthur stood up and walked inside the hut that he had built. Alfred watched him through the small entrance to the hut as he sat down and started putting things together to make a fire. When Arthur's back was turned to him, Alfred started pulling on his hair in frustration. He wanted to scream. He was so angry.  
  
    He wanted so much to believe that he was in the right, that he was being treated unfairly, that Arthur was playing some trick on him, but he knew that it was not so. He knew that Arthur was right. Maybe it wouldn't have been so hard to accept if Arthur wasn't acting so goddamn righteous about it. He was acting like he was so above all of this. It made Alfred furious.   
  
    But Arthur was furious, too. He was just as conflicted and upset as Alfred was about all of this. Of course he was happy that Alfred had surrendered to him. He was ecstatic that this war was finally going to end. But he felt terrible after learning what had happened to Alfred's mother, knowing that it was that incident which had kept this war going for so many years. Even if it wasn't Arthur's fault, he knew now that his people weren't any less barbaric than Alfred's were, and they were capable of feats that were every bit as cruel as anything Arthur could imagine humans doing.   
  
    It didn't help matters that Alfred was being such a goddamn baby about all of this. He was stuck in his own little world of pity. He didn't want to do anything to help Arthur or himself get home. He was hellbent on making Arthur feel terrible about the surrender. It was so frustrating. But Arthur would never let Alfred know that, even though keeping all of these feelings inside was starting to make him feel sick.  
  
    Hours passed into the night. Arthur had his fire going inside of his little hut while Alfred continued to sit in the grass outside. Arthur couldn't sleep, no matter how many times he tried, so in the end he resorted to just watching the fire's dance in hopes that it would lull him to sleep.   
  
    On the other hand, Alfred had fallen asleep rather quickly. Sleep was far preferable to being awake when one had given up on life. He laid down in the grass and curled in on himself. He closed his eyes and fell asleep without much trouble.   
  
    Unfortunately, about an hour after Alfred had fallen asleep, it began to rain. It was light at first, just a few drops here and there that were barely able to be felt, but as the minutes passed by it began to come down heavier and heavier. Thunder crashed and lightning cracked, illuminating the sky more than the moon and stars ever could.  
  
    When the rain started coming down heavy, Alfred woke up instantly. He was cold and he was wet and mud was starting to form underneath him as he tried to go back to sleep, but he didn't move. Not even when the thunder and lightning came and he knew that he wouldn't be getting back to sleep that night. He stayed outside, laying in the mud as the rain continued to pour.  
  
    Arthur knew he was outside. Arthur also knew that he wouldn't come into the hut of his own accord. Quite frankly, Arthur was worried about Alfred. It wasn't healthy for him to be outside in the rain all night. If he wasn't going to come inside on his own, Arthur was going to go outside and get him.  
  
    Arthur stood up and left the hut. He walked over to Alfred as quickly as he could, trying to stay as dry as possible. When he was close enough, he scooped Alfred into his arms, carrying him bridal-style and earning a surprised and almost offended gasp from the Human King.  
  
    Arthur walked back to the hut as fast as he could, though it was hard because of how heavy and uncooperative Alfred was. The Human King didn't hesitate in fighting against his savior, kicking and thrashing around in Arthur's grip, trying to break free. Unfortunately, Arthur was a lot stronger than he looked, and was able to get Alfred safely into the hut.  
  
    "Put me down you son of a bitch! I told you not to touch me unless you meant to kill me!" Alfred screeched.  
  
    Arthur rolled his eyes and dropped Alfred rather carelessly on the ground once the two of them were back inside the hut. "I won't have to kill you if you catch pneumonia first," Arthur grumbled as he sat down where he had been resting before he had gone to save Alfred.   
  
    Alfred glared at Arthur before laying down and curling up on himself again. He laid on his side with his back facing Arthur, shivering horribly and mumbling to himself about how unfair all of this was about how he would rather have caught pneumonia than been brought into this shitty hovel. Arthur grew increasingly angry with every word that came out of Alfred's ungrateful gob.   
  
    "Shut the fuck up, Alfred," he finally snarled.   
  
    Reluctantly, Alfred did as he was told, but it wasn't to please Arthur. It was more because he was shivering so much that he couldn't speak correctly anymore. He felt as though he was going to freeze to death. Even the fire that was crackling behind him did nothing to give him the warmth that he needed to be comfortable again.   
  
    Arthur saw this and was forced to feel bad for the selfish man once again. He knew that Alfred was going to get sick if he wasn't warmed up soon, and Arthur would feel horribly guilty if he didn't do anything to prevent it. Sighing, Arthur began to remove the robe that he was wearing so that he could give it to Alfred. Surely, it would keep him warm enough to stay well.  
  
    "Hey, look at me," Arthur commanded.  
  
    Once again reluctant, Alfred obeyed Arthur's orders and turned around slowly to look at him. Once Alfred was looking at him, Arthur held his robe out to the shivering king in front of him. Alfred just stared at him, not making another move.  
  
    Arthur sighed heavily. "Well, go on. Take it. It'll keep you warm," he urged impatiently.   
  
    Alfred continued to stare at him blankly. "Is this a trap?" he asked.  
  
    Arthur was so close to screaming in that moment, he wasn't quite sure what exactly held him back. "I'm just trying to help you out, you fucking jackass!" he shouted, and threw the robe in Alfred's face angrily.   
  
    He growled lowly before turning his back to Alfred and laying down. Alfred removed the robe from his face and stared at it for a while. All was quiet until Alfred heard the sound of faint snoring coming from where Arthur was laying. He had finally managed to get to sleep.  
  
    Slowly, Alfred removed his soaking vest and shirt from his chest and tossed them to the back of the hut before wrapping Arthur's rope around his shoulders like a blanket. It was surprisingly thick and warm. Alfred began to feel warm and comfortable almost immediately.   
  
    Alfred glanced at Arthur as the Elf King slept and continued to watch him for a while before putting the fire out and settling himself down to go back to sleep. He was feeling more guilty now than ever before, fully realizing for the first time just how selfish and ungrateful he was being. It was hard for him to go back to sleep again now, wishing that he would have thanked Arthur before the other had fallen asleep, but it couldn't be helped now. All Alfred could do was go back to sleep, with the intention of thanking Arthur the next morning.  
  
\---  
  
    Arthur was the first of them to wake up in the morning. He was a naturally early riser, versus Alfred, who always woke up late. Arthur's eyes were blurry when they first opened, and there was a mixture of lightness and darkness within the hut. Sunlight was streaming in through the open entrance, and though it was enough to see by, inside of the hut was still dim. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust.  
  
    He yawned as he sat up and stretched, or, stretched as well as he could with how low the ceiling of the hut was. He rubbed his eyes before putting his arms down and glancing across from him to see if Alfred was still in the hut with him. Much to his surprise, Alfred was still there, and still asleep. What was even more surprising, however, was that he was turned to face Arthur now and that he was wearing the robe that Arthur had given him last night, though his chest was bare. He wasn't wearing his shirt anymore.   
  
    Arthur blushed softly, having not expected such a sight this early in the morning. Moreover, he was embarrassed with the thought of how incredibly well built and toned Alfred's bare chest was. He quickly shook his head and crawled out of the hut, not looking back at Alfred again. He couldn't let himself be seduced by the mere sight of a bare chest.   
  
    He stood up once he was outside and raised his arm to shield his eyes from the much brighter light that now shone down upon him. He wasn't quite sure what to do now, but supposed that he and Alfred needed to eat breakfast, somehow, so he figured he should at least get working on that. Who knew when Alfred was going to wake up or help him.   
  
    This was a forest. There had to be something edible if he looked hard enough. He was sure he could find some berries somewhere. He knew which ones were alright to eat and which ones weren't. He could probably find some meat if he wanted to, too... Of course, he'd have to find someway to kill whatever he was going to cook... But he could use his magic to make a bow, and an arrow, too. Yes, alright, that was what he would do.   
  
    The berries would be the easiest to find, but there were chances of an animal finding them and eating them if he tried to pick those before finding meat, so he decided to find some branches and vines to make a bow and arrow out of. It didn't take him long to find decent material, and he put it together with his magic. After that, using his natural stealth, he dashed off into the forest to find something that he could kill for him and Alfred to eat.   
  
    He was hunting for what seemed like ages before he finally found something. This forest was surprisingly quiet. Either that, or he wasn't quite as stealthy as he thought he was being. Either way, the time for Arthur's victory was now. There was a fox in a small clearing that Arthur could see from the trees that he was standing behind. It was standing still. It seemed to searching for something. Maybe it was doing some hunting of its own. But Arthur wouldn't let it get away.   
  
    He took aim with his bow and arrow slowly and quietly, pulling the string back and aligning the arrow to shoot through the animal's head. In a brief motion, he let the string go, and the arrow soared through the air before piercing the fox straight through its head and killing it instantly. Arthur dropped his bow and ran over to the fox as soon as he had seen his arrow hit its mark.  
  
    He knelt beside the fox and removed the arrow from its head quickly, making as little mess as possible with its flesh. He tossed the arrow aside and placed his hands on top of the fox's head and back before lowering his head and closing his eyes. He began to pray to the gods for forgiveness for taking the fox's life.   
  
    "To the gods who have blessed me with the gift of life, and who also gave life to this precious creature, I apologize deeply for the wrong I have done. Please bless the meat of this creature, that I might eat it and survive to find a way out of this forest; that its life should not have been taken in vain. I pray to thee, forgive me."   
  
    He opened his eyes and looked up again. He picked the fox up gently and placed it over his shoulder before sprinting back to the campsite that he had made last night. He laid the fox down near the hut before gathering materials to start a fire. Before starting the fire, he took a knife from his belt and skinned the fox in order to cook it. He built a spit over the fire pit, and cooked the fox over it. All the while, Alfred still lay sleeping inside the hut.   
  
    Alfred didn't wake up until the sun was high enough into the sky to stream sunlight directly into the hut, and therefore, into his face. He attempted to pull the robe he was wearing over his face to block out the sun, but it didn't work. He wasn't coordinated enough to pull it off of himself and cover his face with it. He was forced to open his eyes and wake up.   
  
    From outside, he could smell the scent of ashes and burning wood and meat. He looked across from him and saw that Arthur wasn't inside the hut anymore. He figured that Arthur must be outside, cooking whatever it was that he was smelling.   
  
    Alfred sat up slowly and pulled the robe off of his shoulders. He looked behind him, to where he had thrown his shirt and vest the other night, only to see that they were still damp. Not only that, but they were covered in dirt and all matter of other forest grime. He didn't feel like putting them back on at this particular moment.  
  
    His pants were still wet, too, and they were dirty as well. They were very uncomfortable to be wearing, but there was no way in hell he was going to take them off. Not while Arthur was around. For now, he'd just have to suffer through the discomfort until he could find someway to get his clothes dry.  
  
    Alfred threw the robe over his shoulder and crawled out of the hut. He stood up and stretched once he was outside before looking around to find out where Arthur had gone. Eventually, he found Arthur sitting a few feet away from the hut by a fire pit that he had apparently made earlier. There were two large leaves on the ground beside him, both of them carrying a handful of berries, as well as the meat that Alfred had smelled cooking when he had woken up.   
  
    Alfred sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair before walking over to Arthur and sitting down across from him. Arthur looked up from the food he had been eating and looked at Alfred, smiling at him faintly in greeting. "Oh, good morning, Alfred. I'm glad to see you're finally awake," he said softly.  
  
    "Y-yeah, I, uh... L-listen, about last night... Thanks for bringing me inside. And, uh... For letting me borrow this..." Alfred stuttered before removing the robe from his shoulder and holding it out to Arthur.   
  
    Arthur stared at the robe in shock for several seconds before taking it back from Alfred slowly. He was surprised that Alfred had thanked him. Quite frankly, he was surprised that Alfred was speaking to him at all. That wasn't to say he wasn't glad of it, though. Maybe Alfred would be more helpful today than he had been yesterday.   
  
    "O-oh, it was no problem, really... I-I just wanted to help," Arthur said, shrugging his shoulders a little and setting the robe aside. "Anyways, mm, would you like to eat something? I made breakfast," he continued, and pushed one of the makeshift leaf-plates towards Alfred.  
  
    Alfred nodded and took the food quickly and without question. He was extremely hungry. He hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning, and now that there was food in front of him again, the realization of just how hungry he was hit him like a punch to the gut. He felt that if he didn't eat within the next few seconds, he might die.  
  
    Arthur stopped eating his own meal to watch Alfred as he ate quickly but neatly and stayed quiet while doing so. There was something about the air around Alfred, his aura, that Arthur sensed was different from yesterday. His pride was gone and so was the hostility. His attitude had changed a lot since yesterday. Arthur was once again surprised by it, but he was glad that Alfred wasn't making this more difficult for either one of them.  
  
    "Um... I-I think we should try to find a way to get out of here together. I'm sure that with your brawn and my magic, we can figure something out," Arthur muttered, picking up a few berries and placing them in his mouth slowly.  
  
    "Yeah. Sure. Just tell me what you want me to do, I guess," Alfred answered.   
  
    He didn't know what else to say. The reason for his change in attitude was that he had just given up by now. On everything. He didn't have the want nor the motivation to get out of this forest, or to do anything, for that matter. But he was willing to help Arthur get home. Whatever happened after that didn't matter.  
  
    "I... Is everything okay...?" Arthur asked, starting to feel awkward around this new, quiet, and submissive version of Alfred.  
  
    Alfred looked up from his food and stared at Arthur blankly. "Well, uh, let's see here. I've given up the only purpose I've had in life since I was ten years old, and have therefore sorta given up on life completely, aaand I've been hanging around with my mortal enemy for, like, more than twenty-four hours without killing him even though I've had various opportunities to. So, in short, everything is definitely the same as it used to be and I'm feeling just swell," he said, giving Arthur a sarcastic smile.  
  
    Arthur rolled his eyes. Well, here came the hostility again. Though he supposed it was better than silence.  
  
    "Stop being such a goddamn drama queen, Alfred. I'm just trying to get home. Besides, I'm sure you've got a lot to live. for. 'Give up'," he scoffed, taking a bite of his meat before continuing, "you refused to give up for ten years and all of a sudden you think it's so easy? No. We need to get back so we can call a truce. There aren't any victors here, okay? It's a truce."  
  
    Alfred didn't move his head, but averted his eyes and shifted his gaze away from Arthur and back down to the ground in front of his feet. "It's more than that," he whispered.  
  
    Arthur's face softened again. So maybe this wasn't about Alfred's pride after all. Maybe there was something that Arthur was missing.  
  
    "Do... You want to talk about it? It might help..." he said.  
  
    Alfred shrugged and sighed softly, running his hand through his hair again. "Look, this isn't the only time I've wanted to give up, okay? You don't understand how long I've really been fighting and how long I've felt like it was so pointless. I've known for years that this wasn't going to end anytime soon and that keeping it up was only going to go badly for both of us. The only reason I've kept fighting for so long was because of my pride, and because I wanted to avenge my mother. Now that I've given up for real, I don't know what to do. Everything is going to change now and I feel like I'm going to be swept up in the current of it all. I'm going to drown in it."  
  
    Arthur pursed his lips slightly, taking into consideration all that Alfred had to say before trying to make a reply. "I understand that, Alfred. I really do. Trust me, you're not alone. I'm confused. I feel sort of empty because we've been fighting for so long that this has become a part of me now. But I know that it's for the best. I know that this is what both of us need."  
  
    He sighed softly. "Please listen to me, Alfred. Even if you don't believe me. I do really enjoy your company, even if we've been fighting for years and don't really know each other. This war is our predecessors' fault. We shouldn't have to carry on with it, when we both know it's wrong. Do you think your mother would want you to murder millions, just because of her?" he asked.  
  
    Alfred bit his lip. He knew that question was coming sooner or later, and it wasn't like he hadn't already asked himself before. The answer was "no", of course. Alfred's mother had never approved of the war. She had wanted it to end more than anyone. She would have been devastated to know that she was the reason that Alfred had continued fighting, rather than stopping years ago when he could have. He had just always told himself that it didn't matter because she wasn't there anymore, and that it was the Elves' fault that she wasn't, so they would have to pay.   
  
    "Well, no... But it's just, when I was younger, I thought that this was right, because that's what my father told me. When I became king, I didn't know any better than to keep fighting. I thought I had to. And even when I had the chance to meet you and I started to realize that this wasn't right, I kept going. And now I've dedicated half of my life to fighting against you and I don't know how to do anything else. But you're right. You always have been. And you're so goddamn perfect and you handle everything so much better than I ever could, and I hate that. More than anything, I hate  _admitting_  that. And I can't go back home because of what my kingdom will think of me. When they learn that I surrendered to you instead of killing you when I had the chance, they'll hate me just as much as they hate you or any of your people. I know, it's so goddamn selfish, but that's just how we are. And it's just how we are to thrive off of what other people think of us. Generally, if others think that you're good-for-nothing, you feel the same way about yourself, and if you're good-for-nothing, then you don't deserve to be alive."  
  
    Now, it was Arthur's turn to avert his eyes. So that's what all of this was about? The lack of hostility, the statements about how Alfred had given up on life, the reason he was being so submissive. He was scared of what his people would think of him. He wanted them to love him. He thought that he was good-for-nothing because he knew that's what his people would say. Well, maybe he and Arthur had something in common after all.  
  
    "I'm  _not_  perfect, Alfred. Not by a long shot. I'm actually quite a mess. I internalize my emotions. I keep them in for so long, until finally I just explode. Sometimes I take it out on my staff, or my people. My people hate me. They hate me so much. To them, I am cruel and vindictive. I do not have a right to my throne. I was put there by birth, but I don't deserve to be there. My empathy is so low, so destroyed, that I really don't know what to do anymore. Honestly, if it makes you feel better, and to make it believable to your people too, you can say that I forced you to do my bidding. You can say you weren't in your right mind. Say whatever you want. You don't deserve to die. And honestly, what your people are doing is an infection of the human condition and cannot be helped. Elves and humans are both destructive forces of nature that will never cease to destroy anyone and everything until this earth is bare. The smartest thing we can do is call a truce, say that both kingdoms have come to terms and have come up with several agreements. We can discuss what happens with that later," he explained, and paused for a moment before adding, "and you're not a good-for-nothing, either."  
  
    Alfred sighed once again. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate that Arthur was trying to help him, or what he was trying to say, but there was that feeling Alfred had that Arthur still just didn't get it. If what Arthur was saying was true, that his people hated him, it still meant that Arthur was stronger because he could put up with that. But Alfred couldn't. He couldn't even stand the  _thought_  of his people hating him. How could he survive living with it in reality?   
  
    "Yeah. I guess. Whatever you say," he finally muttered, waving his hand dismissively.  
  
    Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound very convinced," he said.  
  
    "I'm plenty convinced, Arthur. Let's just find someway to get back so that we can be done with this shit once and for all," Alfred said.   
  
    Arthur wasn't satisfied with that answer. He knew that what he had said hadn't made Alfred feel any better, but he didn't know what else to do. All he  _could_  do was stare at Alfred in hopes that he would give out a better explanation. Unfortunately, the staring only served to make Alfred feel even more uncomfortable.  
  
    "What? Why are you staring at me?" he asked.  
  
    "Because you're not explaining everything. You're avoiding the conversation. I'm not an idiot. You're hiding something from me," Arthur replied.  
  
    "Look, I just don't want to talk about it anymore, okay? You're never going to understand how I feel and I'm never going to understand how you feel so there's no point in talking about feelings anymore. I don't know why I tried in the first place," Alfred said bluntly.  
  
    Arthur dragged his hand down his face in annoyance, frustrated that he wasn't getting anywhere with Alfred now. "You're right. I won't be able to understand how you feel, and you can't possibly understand how I feel. I just wish I could help a little bit. You seem very distraught about this situation."  
  
    Having finished his food by now, Arthur grabbed his robe and stood up from where he had been sitting. He slid the robe back over his shoulders and looked down at Alfred. "We need to get going. You should probably put your shirt back on," he murmured.   
  
    "I don't want to put it back on. It's still wet and dirty. So are my pants," Alfred answered before stuffing the remaining bits of his breakfast into his mouth.   
  
    Arthur sighed heavily before trudging over to the hut and reaching into it to grab Alfred's shirt and vest out of it. He picked them up and walked back over to Alfred, throwing them in his face. As Alfred grunted and tried to pull the dirty garments off of his face, Arthur cast a spell on Alfred's clothes to make them dry and clean.   
  
    "Are you done being a little bitch now?" he asked, annoyed.  
  
    Alfred glared at him briefly before pulling his shirt and vest back on and standing up. "Come on. Let's just get out of here," he grunted.  
  
    Arthur nodded in agreement, and was about to walk off again, but he remembered that he had no idea which way to go. "I... D-do you happen to have a sense of direction? I mean, which way do you think we should go?" he asked, blushing faintly in embarrassment.  
  
    Alfred threw his hands up and shook his head. "Don't look at me, I don't know where the fuck we are," he replied.  
  
    Arthur sighed once again and ran a hand through his hair. "Well- We've just got to start walking to  _someplace._  I'm sure we'll find some civilization... Or something..." he muttered.  
  
    Before Alfred could say anything else, Arthur had grabbed him by the arm and was pulling him off towards the west. Though Alfred had initially been shocked and had even flinched a little, he calmed down rather quickly and followed Arthur as he walked. Officially, they had begun their journey to escape from the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thIS SHOULD'VE BEEN FINISHED A WEEK AGO AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT HAVING IT UP SOONER BUT YEAH HERE IT IS
> 
> This fic is going to be incredibly dialogue heavy because honestly that's pretty much all Mage and I wrote for it, just a shitload of dialogue with hand gestures here and there 
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying so far, I'll try to have another chapter up next week.


	3. The River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred and Arthur continue their journey through the forest, and amidst more arguments and general conversations, they find a river to follow in hopes that it will lead them out of the forest.

     The beginning of their journey was a quiet one. After their "heartfelt" conversation from earlier, neither of them really had anything else to say to each other. Neither of them wanted to pick that conversation up again, but seeing as how they weren't exactly comfortable with one another, there wasn't much else for them to talk about.

 

     Fortunately, the silence wasn't awkward for them. It was natural, and it was peaceful. It gave both of them some much needed space, despite the fact that they were walking practically side by side. It gave them time to think. Maybe even a little time to daydream. It wasn't like they had much to focus on. Neither of them had any idea where they were going, so the plan was to just keep walking until they found something that could help them.

 

     Even so, Alfred could only keep quiet for so long. A little silence was good for him, but after a while, it started to drive him crazy. The thoughts that had come to his mind while he was quiet were enough to start up another conversation with Arthur.

 

     In fact, there was something quite obvious that had sprung to his mind, which he felt that both he and Arthur must have overlooked in their previous anger. He stopped walking once this realization hit him, as if the shock of it was holding him back. When Arthur noticed that Alfred had stopped walking, he, too, stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at his companion.

 

     "What's the matter? Why've you stopped?" he asked. Part of his tone sounded highly annoyed, but yet another part was somewhat worried.

 

     Alfred looked at him. "I've just- I've just been thinking. If you're the one who magicked us here in the first place, couldn't you just magic us back?" he asked.

 

     Arthur scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Alfred. I'm not an idiot. If I could have taken us back with magic, I would have done it already. It's not that simple. I've got to be aware of where I am, and the spell only works over a certain distance... In fact, I think that's why it went haywire. I must have tried to teleport out of range..." he said, forcing nervous laughter. "B-besides, I only have so much stamina for those kinds of spells. It'll take a few days for me to be able to do such a powerful spell again."

 

     Alfred groaned in annoyance. "Well, why was  _I_  the only one who got sucked up with you, then? We both had like ten other people with us, and I wasn't even standing next to you!" he pointed out. He felt himself starting to become suspicious of Arthur's motives once again, but tried to force these feelings back. It didn't work.

 

     "I-I don't know, okay! I don't know. I fucked up, okay? Just be quiet so that I can figure out where to go from here. I'm trying, okay? I really am," Arthur said.

 

     "Whatever," Alfred said, crossing his arms and beginning to walk again before adding under his breath, "but this is starting to sound fishy again. Better watch your back, Arthur. I know I'm watching mine."

 

     Arthur's face fell. He rushed to catch up to Alfred and grabbed onto Alfred's arm again, squeezing it tightly, but not in an aggressive way. He was anxious. Alfred could sense it.

 

     "Alfred, I thought we were past this! This  _isn't_  a setup! Do you really think I'd be this unprepared?? I've no idea where we're going, and honestly, I'm terrified. I've never been in a situation like this before!" Arthur exclaimed.

 

     Alfred sighed softly. His suspicions were starting to slip away again. "Hey, calm down, alright? I mean, come on, we're the kings of the two most vast kingdoms in this world. We'll figure something out..." he assured.

 

     "No, Alfred, I don't think you understand. Everything could go wrong! It could be days before we find water that we can drink, o-or before we find anything else that's decent to eat! We could starve! We could be dehydrated! There are bound to be tons of magical creatures in this forest. What if we meet one that intends on killing us?" Arthur babbled on about the dangers of the forest, but decided to omit the fact that he was just a little bit frightened of the dark.

 

     "Arthur, come on. I've still got my sword, and you made a bow earlier, didn't you? We can defend ourselves if we need to. And there are plenty of animals around here, too. Can't elves like, communicate with animals or something? Or can't you communicate with the forest enough to find out where some water is? Or something edible that we can eat? We just have to be smart about this," Alfred said.

 

     Arthur glared at him. "You act like elves can talk to fucking trees. I can only talk to certain animals. Mostly birds. Which, I'm not sure if you know this or not, but birds fly away when you approach them. Sure, we have weapons, but I don't necessarily want to kill anything. The deer this morning was an exception. But I don't want to have to kill anything else," he protested.

 

     Alfred rolled his eyes. "Well  _excuse me_  for not knowing what exactly the limits of your powers are, but it's not like you've ever told me before. How the fuck was I supposed to know? And if it bothers you that much, then hopefully we won't have to kill anything, but if it comes down to your life versus some animal's life, then I'm going to defend you," he argued.

 

     Arthur blushed softly at Alfred's last statement. "Well I-I... Thank you for that. I-I suppose you're right... Nevertheless, I'm still not sure what to do, or where to go from here. If you see any sparrows or the like, tell me so that maybe I can do something. I might be able to find out where to go..." he said softly.

 

     "Yeah. Sure," Alfred said, shrugging.

 

     A silence fell over the two again as they continued to walk through the forest. Alfred would point birds out to Arthur when he saw them, and Arthur would try to approach them. Unfortunately, most of them flew away, but after a while, they found one bird that stayed put. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, and Alfred smiled a little, before Arthur cleared his throat and began to talk to the bird.

 

     Alfred wasn't sure how he was expecting Arthur to be able to communicate with the birds, but it certainly wasn't through song. Arthur's voice was low and sweet, and he sang in a language that Alfred had never heard before in his life. It must have been a type of Elvish, but nothing that Arthur had ever spoken in front of Alfred. When Arthur sang to the birds, they sang back at him. Somehow, he could make something out of the little chirps and cheeps that the birds made. Alfred couldn't help but stand still and watch in silence. He was mesmerized by it.

 

     After a few minutes, Arthur had finished talking to the bird, and it flew away. Arthur watched the bird fly away before turning around and walking back to Alfred, who still seemed to be caught in his little daze. "Okay, so, I know where we are now. We're in a forest on the outskirts of your kingdom. Also, there's a river a few hundred feet away from us," he said, pointing towards the west. "Apparently, we've been walking an okay sort of path, but we should follow the river north once we find it. That should get us out of the forest."

 

     "S-sure, l-lead the way," Alfred muttered, managing to break out of his daze enough to say something, even if it wasn't much. In all honesty, he hadn't heard much of what Arthur had said, but apparently Arthur knew where to go now, so everything would be fine.

 

     Arthur huffed softly, feeling annoyed that Alfred wasn't paying much attention to him. He didn't realize that Alfred had been dazed by his singing. He grabbed Alfred's wrist and began pulling him off in the direction of the river.

 

     It was a while before they found anything. This leg of the journey was completely silent except for the sounds of the grass, leaves, and twigs crunching beneath their feet, and the occasional calls of birds and other animals. Neither of them dared to say anything to each other.

 

     When they finally heard the sound of rushing water in the distance, they both gasped softly, and looked at each other with eyes widened in hope. Faint smiled tugged at their lips as they changed their pace from an exhausted trudge to an energized run, and they didn't stop until the river was right in front of their feet.

 

     Alfred and Arthur both knelt at the edge of the stream and stuck their hands into it to collect some of the water. While Arthur's first priority was to wash his face, Alfred began drinking it immediately. He was messy with it, cupping the water with his hands and sloshing it onto his face, trying to get as much of it as possible into his mouth. He was desperate. By the time he was finished, there was water all over his face, and it was dripping down his neck and onto his shirt. He let out a long and loud sigh of satisfaction, silently thanking God that he and Arthur had found some water before he died of dehydration.

 

     Arthur watched him in silence, conjuring up a canteen with his magic and collecting some water in it before drinking it slowly, savoring every drop of it. Once he had finished off all of the water inside the canteen, he filled it up again, closed it, and slung it over his shoulder.

 

     "Drink as much as you can. I'd like to start walking again as soon as you're done, and I don't want to stop again for a while," he said, looking at Alfred once again.

 

     Alfred lifted his hands out of the water and looked at Arthur. "Oh, c'mon, man... We've been walking for hours... Can't we sit and rest for a little while?" he pleaded.

 

     Arthur frowned a little. "Well, I suppose we can... But wouldn't you rather get home sooner so that they don't send teams searching for us?" he asked.

 

     "Well, yeah, but if we die from exhaustion along the way, it's not gonna matter whether they send teams to find us or not," Alfred pointed out, sitting back a little.

 

     "Fair point," Arthur said, also sitting back, and sighing a little. "I'm not sure if I've got the magical stamina to build us another shelter tonight..." he admitted.

 

     Alfred shrugged. "Then don't. I'll help you build one without magic. I know how," he said.

 

     "Really...?" Arthur asked, a little shocked at how cooperative Alfred was being, considering how last night had gone.

 

     Alfred nodded. "Yeah. Why not?" he replied.

 

     Arthur smiled faintly. "Well, thank you... I do appreciate the help," he said.

 

     "Yeah. No problem," Alfred said, and pushed himself back so that he could sit against a tree that was behind him.

 

     Yet another silence passed between the two as they sat together and gazed upon the river that was flowing along in front of them. It seemed a little awkward this time for some reason, though. Arthur was uncomfortable, and this was evident in the way that his hands were fidgeting. He tried to find something,  _anything,_  to keep him occupied during this time, but there was nothing. Instead, Arthur tried to start a conversation, hoping that it would lift the atmosphere and make it more comfortable.

 

     "You know, it's... Strange, how different the customs in our kingdoms are, even with the smallest things..." he began awkwardly, hoping that the conversation would catch Alfred's attention.

 

     Alfred turned his gaze away from the water and looked at Arthur, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I guess so... But I mean, our races are so vastly different from each other that it's not really surprising... The only things we really have in common are the way our bodies look and work. Everything else about us is entirely different," he said.

 

     "Yes, but still... I mean, it's so odd having to shake your hand when we have meetings with each other. In my kingdom, the usual greeting, for everyone, no matter their relationship with one another, is to kiss them on both cheeks. But if I ever did that to  _you,_  I'm certain you'd throw a hissy fit about it," Arthur said.

 

     Alfred was a bit offended by Arthur's choice of words. He made it sound as though Alfred were a child who would throw a tantrum at the simple act of a greeting that he wasn't familiar with. It was true that he would be miffed and offended if Arthur had ever tried that on him, but it wasn't as though he would start crying and flailing like a baby.

 

     Alfred chose to let this go, however. He wasn't in the mood to start another argument, so he swallowed his negative feelings and tried to continue the conversation at hand. "Well, where I come from, even kissing someone's cheek is considered intimate. You'd only do it with your family or, y'know, your spouse or fiancé or the person you’re courting," he said.

 

     Arthur pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on top of them. "You humans seem so reserved... It's quite cute, actually," he said, and a faint grin appeared on his face. "What about kissing someone's hand? Isn't that supposed to be a sign of respect where you come from?"

 

     Alfred blushed softly and averted his eyes slightly. "Well, I mean it is, but it's only for huge differences in authority, and it still makes me embarrassed..." he admitted.

 

     "Ohh, I see. The mighty King Alfred is embarrassed by friendly and respectable traditions," Arthur said, and started laughing a little, which caused Alfred's face to go even redder. "So what about embracing and hugging? Do your people also find that to be an act of intimacy?" he inquired.

 

     "Well, not really, I guess. I mean, kinda. It depends on a person's preference I guess. Friends and family almost always greet each other with hugs rather than shaking hands. Strangers don't, normally, and neither do business partners, but I guess they could if they wanted to and it wouldn't really be weird... Just depends on what everyone is comfortable with," Alfred answered.

 

     "So... People like us wouldn't hug?" Arthur asked, causing Alfred to look at him like he was crazy.

 

     "No way in hell, man. What reason would I ever have to hug  _you?_  Or vice versa, for that matter," Alfred replied. Arthur looked almost dejected at this answer, but Alfred didn't seem to notice. If he did notice, he didn't care.

 

     "I'm... Confused. How do you know when someone has crossed into the 'friend' threshold? Is it just a shot in the dark? My people are very open, but we're reserved around humans because we realize you all are quite closed off to physical affections. I just hadn't known it would be this... Strict?" Arthur said.

 

     Alfred scoffed. "Well, you and I have been trying to kill each other for like, the past two years, so I wouldn't exactly call us friends. We're not really acquaintances either, though. I don't know what we are. But I dunno. I guess you know you're friends with someone when you realize that you enjoy hanging out with each other a lot and you both make an effort to see each other and spend time with each other... It just sort of happens. Sometimes it takes a while, but sometimes it's really quick," he explained.

 

     Arthur nodded subtly. "I agree... We're not exactly friends... But I don't think we're enemies anymore, either. Nor acquaintances..." he muttered, and sighed faintly before continuing. "It's weird, but... I find this enjoyable. Your company is amusing and quite helpful, and I'm actually kind of glad that we're stuck here together."

 

     Alfred couldn't help but smile and laugh softly at Arthur's words. "Never thought I'd hear something like that come out of your mouth," he said.

 

     "Well, I never thought that you'd laugh joyfully in my presence, so I guess we're both full of surprises, hmm?" Arthur said, running a hand through his hair as the smile on his face grew wider.

 

     Alfred nodded, letting his gaze drift down to the grass beneath his feet. "Yeah... I guess this was good for us... And, I-I'm sorry that I got so angry with you yesterday..." he said quietly.

 

     "Oh, it's alright, Alfred. You don't have to apologize, I understand. You were overwhelmed. I apologize for acting so cold. I should have been more understanding," Arthur said.

 

     Alfred's smile wavered a little. "I wish I had the patience that you do. If I were you, I would have left me for dead. God knows I deserve it with all the shit that I put you through," he said.

 

     Arthur sighed softly, and moved closer to Alfred, so that they were sitting right next to each other. "You can work on patience, Alfred. It's something that is learned, and I'm sure you'll be able to master it. It's a good step in being a successful king," he said.

 

     Another silence passed for a few moments before Arthur reached out and grabbed Alfred's left hand. Alfred's head shot up, and he looked at Arthur as Arthur turned Alfred's hand over to see his palm. Arthur used his index finger to trace the shape of a sigil on Alfred's palm, which glowed light blue when it had been completed. Alfred stared at it in shock.

 

     "This is a sigil of luck. It's sort of like a good omen," Arthur explained, smiling faintly at Alfred once again. "I hope you don't mind, but I wish you the best of luck."

 

     Alfred slowly looked up from his hand, and focused on Arthur's face instead. "I... Thank you, Arthur," he whispered.

 

     "I-it was no problem," Arthur said as a light pink tint began to grow in his cheeks.

 

     Alfred looked back at the river again, but didn't bother to take his hand away from Arthur's. "D'you think I have time for a nap before we get going again, or should we be leaving sooner rather than later?" he asked.

 

     Arthur chuckled softly. "I think you should have time for a nap," he replied. "Do you want my robe again? I'll try to wake you up in about an hour."

 

     "Nah, I think I'll be alright without your robe. It's warm out today, and my clothes aren't soaking wet anymore," Alfred replied, smiling once again.

 

     "That's true, but I meant that you could use it as a pillow or something. Soil isn't exactly the softest thing to lay your head on," Arthur said.

 

     "It's alright, I think I can manage. I'll let you know if I change my mind, though," Alfred told him.

 

     "Alright, if you're sure..." Arthur trailed off when he realized that he was still holding Alfred's hand. The blush on his cheeks grew brighter and he quickly let go of Alfred's hand. "S-sorry, sorry. Um, I hadn't meant to make you uncomfortable. I-I'll go look for supplies to make our shelter while you rest, b-but I can put a shield up around your body so you don't get attacked while you're off guard or anything, u-unless you prefer that I stay here until you're awake?" he said quickly.

 

     Truth be told, Alfred hadn't even noticed that Arthur had still been holding his hand. It hadn't really made him uncomfortable at all, though he was rather embarrassed that he had admitted that to even himself. To put Arthur's mind at ease, though, he decided to admit it to Arthur as well.

 

     "Nah, nah, it's fine, you didn't make me uncomfortable... And you don't have to stay here with me. You can go wherever you want. I..." he paused for a moment, trying to decide if he really believed what he was about to say next. Surprisingly, the matter didn't require much thought at all.

 

     "I trust you," he said.

 

     Arthur gasped softly, his eyes widening in shock. "I... I-I didn't think you'd ever say that..." he said quietly.

 

     Alfred just smiled again, albeit a little ironically. "I didn't think I'd ever say it either. But then again, I didn't think any of what's happened since yesterday would have happened," he said.

 

     Arthur chuckled softly. "I didn't think it'd happen either, but I am happy to say I trust you too. I'm glad that this happened to us. Maybe our kingdoms could live in peace again because of it..." he said.

 

     Alfred hummed softly as he shuffled himself into a more comfortable position against the tree so that he could fall asleep. "I want more than just a truce, Arthur. I want an end," he whispered.

 

     Arthur smiled softly. "I think that can be arranged, Alfred," he said, watching as Alfred shuffled himself into a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. "Sweet dreams," he said, and Alfred fell asleep soon after.

 

     Arthur stood up from the ground slowly and looked down on Alfred, watching him sleep for a few seconds before raising his hands and muttering an incantation that put a shield over Alfred as he slept. One he was satisfied that Alfred would be safe while he was gone, he ventured back into the forest to find supplies for building a shelter for the night.

 

     He took multiple trips, picking up and carrying as many branches and vines that he could, among other things, and bringing them back to where Alfred was resting. When the sky started to become orange, and Arthur felt that he had brought back enough supplies, he lowered to shield that he had put up around Alfred, and knelt down to shake the sleeping King awake.

 

     Though Arthur was gentle, Alfred still awoke on the defensive. He jolted awake almost as soon as Arthur had touched him, and he pushed Arthur away from him quickly before he even knew what was happening. Arthur gave a soft yelp before toppling over in front of Alfred. Arthur's yelp seemed to help Alfred wake up, and once he realized where he was and what was happening, he calmed down quickly, and apologized to Arthur for pushing him over.

 

     "It's alright..." Arthur muttered as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Is that some sort of automatic response or something...?" he asked, looking at Alfred as Alfred sat up, as well.

 

     "Well- Not for everyone, I guess, um... I just don't take well to being woken up suddenly by other people. I get defensive. It feels like an attack, I guess. But not everyone has that problem," Alfred explained.

 

     "That's understandable," Arthur said, humming a little. "You've been asleep for a while, so I figured I'd wake you up so you could help me out with building this. Um, you look quite strong, so perhaps you could lift the large branches for me?" he asked.

 

     Alfred nodded a little, yawning as he stood up, and stretching when he was on his feet. "Sure, I can lift 'em. Just tell me where you want me to put 'em," he replied.

 

     Arthur instructed Alfred on where to put the branches, and Arthur would tie them together once Alfred had set them up. When the shelter was finished, it certainly wasn't as well made as Arthur's had been last night, but it was bigger and had more space to move around in. At the very least, it wouldn't fall apart, and that was all that really mattered in the end.

 

     When the shelter was finished, Arthur was the first one to crawl inside. They had made sure to place kindling to start a fire inside of the shelter, so Arthur got started on that after motioning for Alfred to join him inside. After Arthur got the fire going, and Alfred was inside to watch it, Arthur left the shelter to find something to eat. He ended up coming back with more berries, as well as two small fish that he had managed to grab out of the river. Alfred cooked the fish, and the two of them ate the meal together.

 

     The sky was completely dark by this point, and Arthur could not deny that he was growing tired. He yawned as he moved himself away from the fire, and laid down in the grass once he was safely away. He looked up at the ceiling of the shelter, and muttered yet another incantation as he made a small and graceful gesture with his arms. Through a small crack in between two pieces of wood, Alfred could see the soft glow of the force field that Arthur had just put up around the shelter.

 

     "I think I'm going to go to sleep for the night, if that's alright with you," Arthur said, gazing up at Alfred, who was still sitting by the fire.

 

     "Oh yeah, of course. Go ahead," Alfred said, nodding at him.

 

     Arthur smiled faintly. "Thanks. Goodnight, Alfred," he said.

 

     Alfred smiled back. "Goodnight, Arthur."

 

     After that, Arthur closed his eyes and curled in on himself, pulling his robe around himself tightly. Alfred, having woken up from a nap not long ago, had no intention of going back to sleep any time soon. Instead, he watched Arthur as he slept. He watched as Arthur's chest rose and fell with every steady breath that he took. He saw the peacefulness in Arthur's face, as if he felt no trouble at all when he slept. He was like a work of art, and Alfred envied that. Still, he couldn't take his eyes off of his sleeping companion...

 

     Eventually, when Alfred's eyes became blurry from the glare of the fire, and he could no longer keep them open, he put the fire out and laid down beside its remains. He glanced at Arthur once again, and when he saw that the other was still comfortable despite the lack of fire, he closed his eyes and curled in on himself in an attempt to fall asleep. It took a little while, since he still wasn't as tired as he should have been, but eventually he was able to fall into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering I have 90% of this fic written already (The entire plot outline + the dialogue) you'd think I'd be moving a lot more quickly with this. Hope you guys don't think my uploading pace is too slow :'D I'm not sure how far I'm going to go with the next chapter... Like we might end up encompassing two days but that depends on if I think a chapter with a single day is long enough for the next one. Either way, my favorite part of the fic is coming up in one or two chapters!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiiiiiii everyone :)
> 
> Yep, that's right, I'm starting a new series (even though I've already got two others to complete ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ ) 
> 
> This time, a fantasy au based off of some lovely artwork by theladyoflemons on tumblr! 
> 
> My friend Mage and I ended up talking about this au for two days straight, discussing everything we could about it, and I saved every reply we had and decided I was going to use them to make a fic out of them! 
> 
> I have a feeling this series is going to be a bit on the short side, I'm estimating five chapters at the most, which means it's gonna end being being a little cliche like a Disney Princess movie bc Arthur and Alfred are gonna end up falling in love within the span of like three days, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyways!


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